Be Still My Stolen Heart
by Hafl
Summary: With Ruby and Cinder both missing, Neo's best bet for revenge is Weiss. And Weiss is so bored with life at Schnee Manor that the criminal trying to use her ends up being a welcome distraction.
1. I - Inquisitiveness over Chess

Weiss had trouble sleeping after her father forced her to return home from Beacon. The combination of the still air in the manor, worries about what had become of her teammates and lack of activity meant that she had spent most of the nights since her arrival back in Atlas staring into darkness.

The moment she heard her window creak open Weiss rolled to the side and out of her bed. She reflexively groped for Myrtenaster in the dark, but her weapon was resting secured in its case. Her bed was now in the way, preventing her from seeing the window, but she could clearly hear a click of shoes on marble as someone entered her bedroom.

Her door was unlocked; she could try to escape. It was a safer course of action than trying to retrieve Myrtenaster and fending off whoever the intruder was. Her thoughts on her options were interrupted by the buzzing of her Scroll. With her father preferring to relay messages through Klein and the CCTS still down, there was no one who would contact her, especially not at this late hour. Before she could get back to planning her escape, the Scroll flew through the air and landed on her chest. She picked it up and looked at the screen. The message only read _Get up_. When Weiss did not get up, another message saying the same arrived.

She was unarmed and the intruder knew where she was. Getting up would at least let her know who she was dealing with. Weiss stood up with her Scroll in hand, ready to throw it at the intruder. The moonlight coming in through the window only let her make out some of the details, but it was enough. It was the mute girl from Torchwick's gang, the one Yang had fought on the train what seemed like years ago. Her umbrella looked a bit worn, but just as deadly as before and she was smirking at the helpless Weiss.

Her Scroll buzzed. _Hello, Princess. Did I wake you up?_

Weiss glared at her. "Why are you here?"

The mute girl made an annoyed face and started typing something on her own non-descript Scroll. If Weiss thought she would be distracted by this, she was wrong. The entire time she was slowly writing, she kept an eye on Weiss, watching for any sudden movement. Finally, she was done and Weiss' scroll buzzed a second later. _Revenge for Roman. Cinder's dead and I couldn't get to the red girl before she disappeared so I figured you're my best bet. Hope you don't mind._

"I had nothing to do with his death," snapped Weiss.

Another buzz. _Silly. I'm not taking revenge on you. _The girl smiled at Weiss and if Weiss didn't know she was a hardened criminal, she would find her smile charming. Weiss knew and so it just looked sinister.

"Do you have a less irritating way of talking to people," said Weiss while continuing to glare at the intruder.

Her Scroll emitted a series of buzzes as the girl sent her reply one letter at a time. _N… O… P… E._ The buzzes continued. _S… O… R… R… Y… S… W… E… E… T… H… E… A… R… T._ Weiss had to suppress an urge to throw her Scroll into the girl's face.

"What do you really want?" Weiss asked.

_Just your company for a bit. Life's been boring lately, don't you think? _Weiss continued to glare at her. Her expression must have showed that she didn't buy anything the girl was saying, since the girl typed another message and sent it. _I'm not here to hurt you if that's what's worrying you._

The girl sat down on Weiss' bed and patted the spot next to her. When Weiss didn't move, another message arrived on her Scroll. _The sooner you cooperate, the sooner I'll leave._

Weiss sighed and walked over to sit down next to the girl. "Does this have a point when you can't even talk to me?" she complained.

The girl raised an eyebrow and smiled. She set her umbrella aside, but it did not seem like there would be much point in fighting back without Myrtenaster which was still resting in its case. Both of the girl's eyes were on Weiss as she typed another message. _You're bored cooped up in here. I can help you pass the time._

"You said you're here for revenge and now you want to keep me company?" Weiss rolled her eyes at the girl and her insufferable smirk.

_Try me. _was the simple response that appeared on Weiss' scroll.

"It's not like I have a choice," replied Weiss.

The girls smiled, patted Weiss' hand and then got up to rummage in Weiss' closet. In the current situation, Weiss couldn't feel too annoyed at this invasion of privacy. Besides, the majority of her belongings were gifts from father's business partners, long-forgotten prospective suitors, or obligatory presents from family members. Except for Myrtenaster there was very little Weiss owned that she actually cared for. More importantly, this gave her a chance to get her weapon while the girl was distracted. She rolled to the other side of her bed, hoping that the slight rustle of fabric wouldn't arouse suspicion.

Her bare feet touched the cold floor and Weiss shivered. Myrtenaster's case was only two or three steps away, but Weiss had little confidence in her ability to move silently. She was no Blake. The girl did not seem to notice and Weiss made it safely to the case. The click of the case opening was enough to alert the intruder, but it was too late at that point.

Weiss whirled around, Myrtenaster in hand. The multi-colored intruder had noticed her, but she did not seem alarmed. She was still smiling confidently as she held a small chest set in her hands. It was an old gift from Weiss' father: the white pieces were made from real Goliath ivory while the black ones were carved from Nevermore feathers. Weiss always had her suspicions about the gift, but it was studying for Beacon's entrance exams that made her realize just how foolish and expensive it was. A Hunter had to collect the materials from Grimm while keeping the creatures alive to prevent the pieces from dissolving along with the rest of the corpse.

The girl assumed a mock expression of shock and put the chess set aside. In a blink of an eye she disappeared and reappeared with her deadly umbrella in one hand and Scroll in the other. Weiss' scroll, left behind on the bed, buzzed and the girl mimed an exasperated sigh then pushed it towards Weiss with her weapon. Weiss kept watching the girl while she picked up her Scroll. _I'm not here to harm you. Let's both put the weapons away._

"You first," was Weiss' reply.

The girl wrote the next message more slowly, since she had to work with only one hand and the wait made Weiss feel irritation towards the intruder. Weren't her father and brother enough to deal with? Did she really have to be targeted inside her own bedroom by criminals who had followed her all the way from Vale?

_You count to three and we'll both drop them at once._ Weiss nodded and started counting. She didn't trust the girl, but she had her glyphs to get Myrtenaster back in a pinch and going along with her seemed like the fastest way of getting her out of Weiss' room without having to explain anything to Father or Klein.

On the count of three both Myrtenaster and the girl's umbrella clattered to the ground. The sound was unpleasantly loud and it seemed like it echoed in Weiss' oversized bedroom. With the both of them disarmed again the girl sent yet another message to Weiss. _How about we sit down and play some chess to get to know each other better? You take a piece and I'll answer a question and the other way around. Whoever wins can make one request._

"You don't seem like a chess player," observed Weiss. She wasn't a very good player herself, but if she could win, she could ask the girl to leave her alone. That was assuming she would keep her word, of course.

_We all have hidden depths. Even you, I hope. _The girl's near-constant smirk was making Weiss angry, but she knew that that was what the girl wanted. She wanted to beat the girl at he own game, but chess wasn't one of her strong suits and if she let herself get carried away, she wouldn't be able to concentrate on the game.

"Fine," she said, "I'll play, but you'll leave me alone for good if I win."

_You'll jinx your chances if you make your request before the game._ The girl continued smirking even as she was setting up the pieces. The moonlight coming from outside was enough to show the board and the pieces in stark monochrome.

The white pieces were set up on Weiss' side of the board. _You don't seem like the person to play against type._ Instead of replying, Weiss made her move. The pieces felt unpleasant to touch and Weiss immediately wished that she could wash her hands even though there didn't seem to be any dirt on them. Was there really anyone who would prefer playing chess with pieces of still-living Grimm?

She hadn't played chess in a long time, but she remembered one simple trick that Winter had shown her years ago. She advanced the pawn in front of her king, the moved out her queen. If the girl wasn't good, she could get this all over in two more moves.

Weiss didn't even watch the black side's moves as she impatiently put her bishop into position. When she noticed her mistake, it was already too late. The black knight had taken her queen.

_Is this your first time playing? _was the girl's mocking question. Weiss shook her head. "No," she admitted in an ashamed whisper.

Weiss tried to focus on the game. Her attempt at ending it quickly failed miserably and now she was at a disadvantage, but the game was far from lost. A mere pawn was her first trophy, but it was a start. The game stopped for a moment as Weiss pondered what she should ask the girl.

She finally settled on "What's your name?"

_Neopolitan, but most people call me Neo. _That simplified things. Neo was a lot more distinctive than 'girl' or 'that girl'. Not that Weiss planned on letting Neo occupy her thoughts any more than strictly necessary.

Weiss was determined to take Neo's queen and even the odds, but Neo proved to be elusive. Neither one of them made much progress in the next dozen moves and the middle of the board was becoming crowded. It was Neo who slipped up first and Weiss' knight was able to take a bishop. It wasn't the queen, but she was making progress.

She was waiting for Neo's move, but it wasn't coming. It was her turn to ask a question, she remembered and racked her brain for something to ask about. There wasn't much that she was curious about concerning Neo. "What do you want with me?"

_Like I said: revenge. But we could also be friends if you'd like. _Neo's smirk shifted into a smile that looked genuine, but Weiss knew better than to trust someone like her. "I don't think so."

With how crowded the board was, it didn't take long from an opportunity to present itself. Neo pushed a pawn forward where one of Weiss' could take it. It would end up as an exchange, but Weiss felt like it was one worth making. More space on the board seemed to be one of the rare things both Neo and herself wanted.

The only issue was what question to ask Neo. Maybe that was Neo's plan: to stop Weiss from taking pieces with this ridiculous question and answer bit. Neo was waiting for her question with a relaxed look on her face. She wasn't smirking and she didn't look deep in thought over the game. Perhaps Weiss could use the question to take Neo's mind further away from the game. "What do you think about me?"

Neo smiled at the question, but then she turned away letting Weiss look at her profile while she was slowly writing a message on her Scroll. _Pretty, handy with a weapon, hates to lose, light sleeper, nice figure and should wear nightgowns that are a little less transparent._

Weiss felt her face grow hot when she read the end of the message, but one quick look reassured her that her nightgown was not see-through. Neo was back to her smirking self and when Weiss followed her gaze, she found out that Neo was looking at her chest. She ignored this provocation and waited for Neo to take her pawn.

Neo did and her question soon followed. _Are you a virgin?_

Weiss stared at the screen. Nothing in her life had prepared her for a criminal breaking into her bedroom and asking questions like this. In a way, it was her fault for agreeing to the game, but she was a Schnee and Schnees always kept their word or at least they should. "Yes," she answered. Unlike some other people, she had spent the bulk of her time at Beacon studying.

Neo smiled and Weiss couldn't help but see a predatory glint in her eyes. "If you win and make a request like that, I'm not going to do it," said Weiss.

_Don't worry. I already know what I'm going to ask for. _Neo's expression when she sent that message was less than reassuring, but Weiss was too far gone to just back out now. She could always try fighting if Neo won the game.

Snow started to fall outside while Weiss thought about her next move. She had only just now fully realized that the questions were just as important to the outcome of the match as the pieces on board. If she could manage to avoid losing any more pieces, Neo would not have a chance to rattle her with more personal questions.

She switched her strategy to preserving her own pieces rather than taking Neo's. For a few more moves her new approach worked, but just as she placed her rook down on the board to retreat from a threat, Weiss realized that its new position was just as threatened.

The look of triumph on Neo's face was almost unbearable. Luckily for Weiss, the light snowfall was becoming a snowstorm as heavy clouds hid the moon away and she could now barely see Neo's face. Even though the room was almost completely dark now, the board and pieces carved from Grimm bodies glowed with unnatural light.

Weiss steeled herself for another rude personal question, but it wasn't coming. Neo instead cupped her chin in her hand as if she was thinking about it. Her face was hidden in the deep shadows leaving far too much to the imagination. _Are you in love with the Red girl? _she asked finally.

This was a personal question, but not one Weiss had any difficulties answering. She shook her head. "No," she answered without offering any more details. Barring Ruby's own issues with romance in general, there was the fact that the younger girl could be exhausting to be around just as a friend and a roommate. Weiss couldn't even imagine what a more intimate relationship would be like.

Neo's reaction to the answer was hidden by darkness, but Weiss imagined that she was pleased. Whatever she came here to do had to do with Ruby and Weiss wasn't about to let Neo hurt her, even if she wasn't able to go help Ruby directly.

The game continued, but Weiss' concentration seemed to be permanently lost. She had to have been too preoccupied with figuring out just how Neo wanted to take revenge on Ruby that she wasn't paying attention to the game. The wind picked up outside and its howling could be heard through the closed windows. Weiss took a moment to look at the windows and that was enough to make her careless and lose another pawn.

Neo's question was puzzling. _Would you believe me if I told you I won't harm Red for my revenge?_

Neo left her Scroll's scree bib after she sent the message and its glow illuminated her face enough for Weiss to be able to study her expression. She was smiling and her pink and brown eyes were looking straight at Weiss. At that moment, she didn't really look like a hardened criminal.

"Right now I would, I think," said Weiss. When Neo wasn't smirking and waving a weaponized umbrella around, she looked just like an ordinary pretty girl you'd see around town. Her fashion sense was a little bit on the extravagant side, but it was sound enough and Weiss was much more forgiving of unorthodox dress sense than her father.

Weiss' answer must have caused Neo to start thinking about something else, since her moves got a bit careless. Not careless enough to let Weiss take any of her pieces, but enough that an uneasy balance dominated the board. Weiss was just about to finally make her counterattack when Neo took one of her knights. Was Neo just pretending to be distracted to lure Weiss into a trap? _Do you hate your father?_

The question made it clear that Neo had investigated Weiss beforehand. One of the few things she and her father had wholeheartedly agreed on was that the strained nature of their relationship should be kept private. For a moment, Weiss considered lying, but that would be against the deal she had made with Neo. No one would ever know. Except for Weiss and that was enough to stop her. If she was going to end up spending the rest of her days all alone, Weiss would prefer to be a person she wouldn't have to be ashamed of.

"Hate is a strong word," said Weiss, "but we disagree on a great deal of things."

Neo nodded as if Weiss had just confirmed something to her. She had to have been thinking about something else, since her very first move after the pause left one of her pawns defenseless. It was a meager prize, but Weiss took it.

"Why me? There has to be a better target," she asked Neo. Yang, for example. She was wounded badly and wasn't living in a manor house fortified against White Fang attacks.

The answer was long in coming. Whether it was because Neo needed time to think or because she wanted to unnerve Weiss by the long wait, Weiss didn't know. _Red cares about you. And you're pretty._

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Weiss deadpanned almost immediately.

_It's true though._

This time Weiss did not let her concentration waver. She knew that she was losing, but she also knew that she could still catch up. The loss of her queen was a blow, but Weiss was confident that now that she knew Neo's tricks, she could make a plan.

First of all, she needed to confound Neo. She moved one of her pawns to an exposed position, but Neo did not take the bait. Weiss moved another one, but Neo still refused to take advantage. It was obvious that Weiss' trap was not working, but she kept exposing her pawns. Eventually Neo would be forced to bite and take one.

At last, Neo took a pawn. Even though she would have to answer a question now, Weiss felt a sense of triumph wash over her. She hoped that Neo could see her face in the dark room, so that she'd know she had played right into Weiss' hands. However, Neo started smirking again as she wrote a question on her Scroll. _Would you want a rematch?_

"No," replied Weiss flatly then added, "Because you're going to lose."

Neo's smirk turned even more insufferable and she took Weiss' second rook.

All of Weiss' carefully prepared plans for a counterattack collapsed in an instant, but she managed to keep her expression calm. Neo was running out of questions to ask, Weiss was sure of that.

_Are you afraid? _Neo asked. Definitely running out.

"No," replied Weiss. Even if she lost, she had Myrtenaster within easy reach and the manor was well guarded. Neo would probably escape, but that was not an issue. If she tried something like this again, Weiss would be ready.

Weiss' side of the board was now getting dangerously empty and Neo pressed her advantage mercilessly. Her pieces were constantly moving forward leaving Weiss with little space to maneuver. Defeat was inevitable, but Weiss was still searching the board for a chance to delay it. She couldn't find one, but Neo's bishop was unguarded. Weiss took it. If she had to lose, she was going to do so while asking the last question of the game.

Neo didn't have any outward reaction as Weiss took the piece. There had to be a way to shake that smug calmness off her face and Weiss had to find it. She had managed to get the last word; now she had to figure out how to make use of it. The reason Neo came after Weiss had to do with Ruby. From what little they had managed to tell each other during the battle of Beacon before Ruby fell unconscious and Weiss was dragged away by her father, Ruby had fought Neo and Roman Torchwick and Torchwick did not survive. For a criminal like Neo to go to such lengths to avenge an associate seemed strange. There had to be another reason.

She could ask about it, but that wasn't going to get a rise out of Neo. A few more seconds of thought gave her the question she was looking for. "Were you in love with Torchwick?" she asked.

Neo opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something then closed it again. Despite knowing that Neo's next move was going to put her into checkmate, Weiss couldn't help but feel like she won. She had managed to get under Neo's skin even if the criminal did everything she could to avoid letting Weiss see that. But Weiss knew and she knew that Neo knew that Weiss knew.

She had to wait for the answer for some time. Neo took her time writing her response. It looked as if she erased what she had written several times before finally looking over the message, smirking and adding a few extra words at the end. _Roman was like my father. So no, in case you think I'm some sort of a freak. Besides, I prefer girls._

Was the last sentence supposed to disturb Weiss? It wasn't as if she was a sheltered child. She had seen enough men and women who immediately abandoned their spouse at a party to join someone of their own sex. No one would make fuss about it as long as proper decorum was observed. And she had spent time at Beacon, a place full of teenagers out of parental supervision often for the first time and eager to figure out what they wanted. If Neo wanted to freak her out, she'd have to try much harder than that.

"I didn't want to stereotype, but the pink hair could be a clue," said Weiss, trying to sound as disinterested as possible.

Neo just smirked and moved her queen to checkmate Weiss' king. "You win," acknowledged Weiss.

Myrtenaster was in easy reach. If Neo crossed the line with her request, she was ready. The beep from her scroll told her that it was time. _Take your clothes off._

Her first instinct was to reach for Myrtenaster and show Neo that she went too far. She soon realized that if she did that, it would mean letting Neo win. That addition to her last answer had to be leading into this. Weiss wasn't about to let Neo know that she had made her afraid and made her break her word. One of those would be tolerable. Both would be too much.

Weiss nodded and stood up from the table with Neo following her example. She forced herself to forget that Neo was there as she slowly started to remove her nightgown. It was slightly transparent, but Weiss was almost painfully aware that her bare skin was now exposed. A chill ran over her skin following the fabric as it slid over her body.

Defiance took hold of her as the nightgown fell down to the floor. Let Neo look. Weiss had nothing to be ashamed of. All the scars she had, she got because she was trying to be a Hunter. If anything, she should be proud of them.

There was a strange lack of reaction from Neo. At this point Weiss expected her Scroll to be ablaze with mocking and teasing messages. Instead, there was silence. Weiss looked to see what Neo was doing only to find her turned away. A wave of anger came over her. How dare she humiliate her like this and then not even look?

"Neo?" asked Weiss, realizing a split second later that this was the first time she had called her by name.

Neo slowly turned around and Weiss through she saw tears glistening on her cheeks. She bowed her head to Weiss and then started writing on her Scroll. _You're beautiful. I'm sorry. I'll be going now._

Weiss felt her face grow hot again. Some boys had told her she was beautiful before, but this was different. Neo's tear-stricken face seemed more sincere that Weiss would think her capable of.

Without giving Weiss time to respond, Neo collected her umbrella and headed to the balcony door. A gust of freezing wind and snow entered the bedroom as she opened it and Weiss shivered. Seeing Neo in the doorway, outlined against the raging snowstorm made Weiss feel sorry for the girl. Weiss was a Huntress. It was her job to protect humanity from the world, even if some people didn't really deserve protecting.

"You can stay the night," she called after Neo, "My bed is large enough for four people at least."

Neo closed the door. _That's not a proposition, is it?_

"I'm afraid not," said Weiss. She realized that she was still naked and started to gather and put her nightgown back on in a hurry.

When she was finished, she saw Neo standing in front of her. All traces of the remorseful Neo were gone now and she was once again wearing an expression of immense self-satisfaction. _You'd better lay your sword between us, or I can't guarantee I won't try giving into temptation._

Weiss smiled at the suggestion and did as Neo said. Just in case.

Later that night, Weiss' Scroll buzzed. _Thank you. Good night._

"Good night," she said to the darkness.


	2. II - Light-fingered Shopping

The Schnee family had been divided for the longest time and with no guests to keep up appearances for, everyone took their meals alone. Jacques Schnee in his office while listening to an accountant's report, Whitley very late as he had started staying up late for some mysterious reason, and Weiss had a light breakfast in her room at the break of dawn. She never needed much sleep and she liked it that way: more time for training and studying. Everyone was trying to ignore Madame Schnee who usually kept to her rooms where she was stewing in either resentment or inebriation.

Weiss' morning routine wasn't shaken by the late night disturbance. If it were, it would be a sign of weakness and it would let the manor staff know that there was something amiss. In fact, Weiss was determined to not let last night's events affect her as she sipped her obscenely strong morning coffee. Neo was gone by the time she woke up, but that was to be expected. Weiss was sure that her rashness did not lead to anything untoward last night and that was it. She showed weakness once, but she'd make sure that it would not happen a second time.

Klein saw Weiss frown as her Scroll buzzed. That wasn't anything unusual. In Klein's humble opinion, Weiss was an unusually frowny child whether at herself or at others. However, he was perceptive and knew Weiss quite well from his years of service to the Schnee family. Which is why he knew that this frown was not ordinary. It only deepened as Weiss looked at the Scroll and Klein was sure a bit of color appeared on Weiss' cheek. It wasn't his place to say and if young lady wished to acquire any intimate friends, that was solely her business even if Master Jacques, like all parents, might see things differently, but Klein couldn't quite approve of lovers sending messages frank enough to cause blushing so early in the day.

"Is something the matter?" he asked while refilling Weiss' coffee.

"Do you think Father would object if I wanted to go to town today?" asked Weiss.

"I do not believe so, Miss," replied Klein, "You are not a prisoner, after all." He knew that he wasn't speaking the truth in the strictest sense of the word. While Weiss wasn't officially prisoner, or even grounded, her freedom of movement at the present moment was limited by Master Jacques' approval. Some sort of urgent matter was more than likely to materialize if she wanted to spend her time outside the manor grounds.

Weiss nodded thoughtfully. "I see," she said, "I'll be going out for lunch then. Since I'm not expected, there's no need to disturb Father when he's at work, is there?"

"Not at all, Miss," said Klein and left Weiss to her thoughts which mostly concerned Neo at the moment. She knew that the girl was trouble, more than that, she was a hardened violent criminal. And Neo herself had admitted that she was only trying to get close to Weiss so that she could get revenge on Ruby. Which is why replying to the Scroll message she had just received that said "Lunch today?" followed by a text emoticon so complex and bizarre even Ruby would have trouble decoding it was a bad idea. Neo's admission of ulterior motives had worked, however. All Weiss had to do to avoid hurting Ruby was to avoid falling for the girl. Simple enough: she had a lot of practice not having foolish and dangerous love affairs that Father would vehemently and violently disapprove of.

"So what? Neo is a murderer, but she looks people in the eyes when she kills them, I think. Is that so much worse than slowly draining people of life in mining camps? The only reason why father could disapprove of Neo and me becoming friends would be that he's ashamed in front of someone who is so much more honest than him?"

An excuse like that was enough for Weiss to send an affirmative reply. If she was a more introspective person or in a more introspective mood, Weiss would notice that she was acting out of half boredom and half spite against her father. Jacques Schnee saw his business practices as necessary evil if he wished to keep SDC at the top and prided himself on defeating his competition with just cutthroat business tactics and not actual cutthroats. He needed his cutthroats to keep the workers in line, anyway.

Neo's reply to Weiss' acceptance of the invitation was frustratingly short and cryptic. Perhaps she did not feel like typing long messages at the moment, but Weiss was convinced that Neo just wanted to appear out of nowhere and surprise Weiss instead of setting up a place where they'd meet.

She was correct on that account. Weiss felt very proud of herself when she didn't show the slightest surprise when she opened the door of her room to leave only to find Neo waiting outside. She did, however, show surprise at seeing Neo's clothes. Neo did not yet know Weiss well enough to tell the difference at that point, so Neo felt very satisfied with herself as well. Weiss' surprise was compounded when Neo curtsied. If she had time to think of it, she would realize that curtsying went very well with Neo's dress. It was an extremely old-fashioned affair made out of black silk accentuated with ridiculous pink puffed sleeves. The effort was crowned by a pink and black rose blossoms nested in Neo's hair. Weiss couldn't fathom why Neo would wear something so ridiculous and hideous, but the simple truth was that Neo had very little experience with both fashionable feminine clothing and dating. Not that Neo would admit to her lack of experience or that Weiss would admit she had accepted a date invitation from a murderer just to spite her father. No, it was just a friendly lunch between two people who had absolutely nothing positive in common and who knew next to nothing about each other except that they found the other physically attractive.

"Do you have some place in mind?" asked Weiss once Neo rejoined her outside the manor, but Neo just smiled enigmatically and gestured for her to follow. "Not feeling talkative today?" followed up Weiss and immediately scolded herself. She didn't accept the invitation to be antagonistic.

Neo only smirked and led Weiss deeper into the "bad" part of town, as much as there was a bad part of town in Atlas. Most of the people living in Atlas were fine with keeping the poorest, both Faunus and human, out. Still, this part of Atlas could be described as lower middle class, or in more harsh terms, petit bourgeois. Definitely not a place Jacques Schnee would want his daughter to visit. Weiss visited areas like this, and poorer, back in Vale, so she didn't exhibit any signs of uneasiness. This disappointed Neo. Corruption is always more satisfying the more exalted heights of ignorance and innocence the victim falls from.

Weiss was much less sheltered than Neo had expected. Sure, she was a student at Beacon and a Huntress in training that had tangled with Neo and Roman on more than one occasion, but Beacon wasn't really a school that showed its students the harsh realities of life. Maybe a more shocking course of action was in order. Neo led Weiss to a small restaurant that catered mostly to minor officials whose jobs did not have a workplace cafeteria or whose cafeteria food was so bad that employees just need a break sometimes.

No one looked twice at the pair of a wanted criminal and a Schnee heiress. Even if someone recognized a criminal from Vale and believed that Weiss Schnee would come to an establishment like this, they would know better than to interfere with whatever dealings the Schnee family had with the underworld element. Weiss herself tried to avoid attracting attention. She had been a minor celebrity in Atlas and she didn't want the news about her excursion to reach her father's ears yet. She let Neo take her to a table in the corner that could be considered semi-private. They wouldn't sit across the table from each other, but since Weiss still didn't consider this a fate, she did not mind.

"Should I order for us?" started Weiss, but Neo had arranged matters beforehand as the waiter immediately brought a bottle of wine adding that the meal would be ready in just a few minutes. Neo just smirked at Weiss. If Weiss decided not to come, no one would know about her failed planning, but now she was able to make an impression. An impression that was all the more precious because the best option in the restaurant's meager selection was an indifferent pasta dish that did not even have a fancy foreign name. Her inability to get something better frustrated Neo, but her meager budget was already seriously depleted by the expense of discreet travel from Vale.

Weiss was used to a much better fare both at home and at Beacon's cafeteria which did not skimp on providing proper nutrition to students. She made no comment on the meal itself. They both ate in complete silence. Weiss did not expect Neo to be _chatty_, but she talked a lot the previous night even if it was by a proxy. She inadvertently revealed too much of herself and now she was trying to compensate for it and maintain the air of mystery that she believed to be necessary for her plans. If she judged the red girl correctly, she would be hurt by the Schnee heiress associating with Neo even a little. Her goal was already fulfilled in a sense, but it was so easy, so unsatisfying and Weiss was attractive and still retained some idealism that would be so much fun to strip away. A memory of last night twitched through her mind and she couldn't help but feel a twinge of conscience.

She vaguely understood that she had crossed some sort of line, but that Weiss forgave her against all reason. Criminals of Neo's caliber often had at least a passing acquaintance with the mores of polite society, but Neo wasn't a social butterfly. Even if she could speak, she wasn't sure that she would. She mulled over her thoughts while sipping the wine. While both Neo and Weiss were considered too young to drink alcohol in Vale, Atlas was different. It was a fresh experience to do something legally for once. Most of Neo's conscience regarding theft, murder and other crimes of similar nature had long since eroded away, constantly tested by the demands of surviving in a criminal underworld. Personal matters were a different story. Her pursuit of revenge for Roman's death was not necessary. Death was part of rules of the game. You didn't hold a grudge against people whose help you might need tomorrow, you just watched your back. But Roman did a lot for Neo, more than what their relationship strictly required and she liked him. And as she thought back to what she had seen last night with an ashamed blush she pretended to be caused by the alcohol, taking her revenge with Weiss Schnee's unwitting help came with its own perks.

The wine had brought color to Weiss' cheeks as well. It was strong and she was light; it was no wonder she did not have much tolerance. She was fully aware of her slightly tipsy state, but she did not mind. Father would not approve and she was enjoying that he wouldn't approve. All her life, she was forced to push away her thoughts and her wishes and when she tried to get away, he father first tried to kill her, then took the first opportunity to drag her back. She had had enough and she was going to take this chance to act out again, especially since someone else was paying. If Neo's plan to take revenge on Ruby was to trash Weiss' reputation by showing her drunk in public, Weiss was going to help. Ruby was still young enough to think that getting drunk was really cool. Though considering her boorish drunkard uncle, maybe not. After all, if you're drunk, you can't properly play video games with your nieces.

Neo ordered a second bottle without Weiss even asking and by the time they left the restaurant, Weiss was walking slightly unsteadily. She leaned against Neo for support. "If you wanna kill me, now's a good time," she mumbled and laughed little. It seemed so absurd that she had just got drunk at a lunch with a vicious murderer.

Neo just smiled at her. Both because she had no plans for killing Weiss at the moment and because Weiss looked quite cute with the blush covering her cheeks. She put her hand around Weiss to help steady her until she sobered up and was surprised to hear Weiss giggle. A sound like that seemed so inappropriate coming from a Schnee, or really, any member of the so-called upper class. Giggling showed a genuine emotion and genuine emotions were a sign of bad breeding.

Without any warning, Weiss pulled Neo closer with surprising strength and have her a kiss on the lips. In public. The kiss was rather short because Neo was too surprised to reciprocate and Weiss almost immediately descended into a fit of giggles. "Got you," she said and it was unclear if she meant Neo or her father. It was both.

Neo quickly regained her composure and smirked at Weiss to show that she was still completely in control. Fortunately for her, Weiss was tipsy enough to believe her. "Hey, Neo," she said while pressing herself closer to her, "Let's go shopping. We had lunch, so now it's time to have fun."

When Neo showed her a completely empty wallet, Weiss pouted. "You're a criminal, aren't you?" Just steal something." Neo couldn't believe what she was hearing. It was true that alcohol often removed people's inhibitions, but Weiss had to be repressed beyond belief for it to have such an effect. Even if Weiss complained once she got sober, Neo knew that few things were better for building a relationship than shared guilt. You just had to have enough on the other person to make sure that if they decided to betray you, they'd go down with you. She put her usual smirk back on her face, wrapped an arm around 'her girl' and set out to do some shopping.

The part of Atlas with all the best shops was far enough from the restaurant for Weiss to regain most of her sobriety and reflect on what she was doing. Did she really kiss Neo, a criminal who tried to kill her and her friends? And worse, she couldn't even properly recall what it felt like. She immediately angrily banished the thought that she'd just have to try again. Sure, Neo was good looking and it felt nice to feel her arm around her, but Weiss never thought of herself as someone who would go for kisses even before the first official date. And of course, she couldn't really forget about Neo openly admitting that she wanted to get revenge on Ruby. Weiss was so busy mulling over these thoughts that she had almost forgotten she had incited Neo into committing another crime, even though Neo didn't really need that much incitement.

There was still time to tell Neo to stop, that she was just joking, but if she did that Neo would probably think Weiss was a coward. The opinion of a criminal and a murdered wasn't all that important to Weiss, but she kept thinking that it might be true. The danger of death by Grimm claw or a criminal's weapon felt like nothing compared to being publicly known as a criminal or to having to face Father's wrath after incurring the costs of a large PR campaign. So Weiss did not stop Neo. She was going to show the whole world, but mostly herself that Weiss Schnee was not a coward.

The first expensive shop Neo had dragged her to was a jewelry store her mother sometimes used to frequent. Weiss was very young at that time, but the clerks still recognized her. Places like this prided themselves on never forgetting a rich customer and knowing their tastes. Everything in service of making them more comfortable with spending outrageous sums of money. Discretion was part of the price: if Miss Schnee's new platinum necklace got stolen because a store clerk did not watch his mouth the store's reputation would suffer even more than the clerk after they were fired and hit with fines they didn't even know were part of their contract.

The store staff did not bat an eye when Weiss Schnee entered the store hanging off of a woman whose taste in fashion screamed 'lower class.' Everyone who was anyone in Atlas' society was married and had a few children, but it was a public secret that a lot of those people had different interests in their 'free time.' Sometimes a rebellious son or daughter (like Weiss) might want to make a relationship like that public in the wider world and not just the so-called polite society, but problem children like that were either persuaded to see reason or swiftly disinherited and everything went on like before.

The long walk, fresh air and probably her aura sobered up Weiss completely and she felt very cold-blooded as she calmly considered how Neo and she were about to steal a number of very expensive trinkets. She knew that the jewelry on display was real. A rich customer might feel insulted that the store did not trust them and the gigantic profit the store turned on even a single item was more than enough to cover for shrinkage caused by bored ladies whose kleptomania was never publicly acknowledged. The store would often receive anonymous packages containing stolen pieces and never investigated where they came from. Weiss' training at Beacon helped her spot the extremely discreet security cameras that covered the entire small store and while she couldn't see any unseemly wires, she was absolutely sure that each display case had its own alarm system.

Now that Weiss was stable again, Neo was clinging to her and not the other way around. She kept dragging Weiss from case to case, playing the role of a love-struck girl perfectly without any need to use sound. Weiss had a lot more practice with acting than people realized: keeping her father placated was not a simple task. Her role was comparatively simple. She went around with Neo, inquired about her opinion that was conveyed mostly by cloyingly sweet smiles and gestures, and inquired to the staff about some pieces Neo was particularly enthusiastic about. When Neo was done looking, Weiss said something non-committal about an upcoming birthday and gave a conspiratorial wink to the staff. If she never followed up on this, it was because she broke up with Neo. Obviously, Schnee pride would never allow someone to break up with one of them and live.

They exited the shop and left the staff to gossip about the degenerate Schnee heiress and her fetish for mute girls. What was next, Faunus ears? Old man Schnee would explode with rage if that happened. Just as they were out of sight of the shop and any possible cameras monitoring the outside, Weiss felt cold metal slide on her finger. When she looked, she noticed that there was now a silver ring set with a pale blue stone (aquamarine?) on her finger. Neo lifted her hand to show that she was wearing a matching one. She grinned.

"When did you…" Weiss began, but Neo vanished and reappeared to hug her from behind. Right, her semblance. But Weiss never saw her use it at the shop, she was absolutely sure that Neo was next to her the entire time, and even though Neo was small, she wouldn't fit into one of the display cases to steal anything.

"That wouldn't work," Weiss protested, "How did you do it?"

Neo grimaced in exaggerated exasperation and started to type on her Scroll. And they understood each other so well without it until now. _I took it from the purse of that fat lady in red. She swiped it from the case when the clerk opened it for her. Spoilsport. _She was frowning now.

Let her frown, thought Weiss. She felt very little guilt for being an accomplice to theft of already stolen goods. She wouldn't even feel guilty if Neo was the original thief. What she did feel was satisfaction for not letting Neo trick her. Her spirits were high and it was still rather early in the afternoon. She was together with an experienced thief and none of the stores here would dare trying to antagonize her father. The strained relationship between Weiss and Jacques Schnee was a family secret known only to the family itself and family friends. Jacques Schnee did not believe in having family friends.

The store clerks did not know that if a store let her father know about his daughter's behavior and sordid associations, he would be furious. Weiss, however, was determined not to show her fear of father's wrath in front of Neo. Whatever the cost, the criminal must not know her weak points. Neo was a diversion. A pleasant diversion, but she was also a dangerous one.

If Neo managed to hurt Ruby through Weiss, Weiss would find it difficult to forgive herself. But as long as Neo was occupied with Weiss, she wasn't going after Ruby personally. Her father wouldn't let her leave Atlas, but she could still help Ruby in this way. That was her justification and Weiss herself did not know it was lie. She enjoyed Neo's company and the potential danger gave it extra flavor.

"Let me make it up to you," Weiss told Neo when they approached a brand clothing stores. Other kingdoms would not publicly admit it, but Atlas was the capital of fashion. With how important military was to the country, it was a natural human impulse to counteract the uniforms with a more refined sensibility. The designers unable to get a job creating insignia for branches of the military and individual units found ample opportunities to exercise their abilities in creating fashion for the rich who wanted to impress while staying within bounds of good taste.

Neo didn't seem to think that a clothing store was a place worth stealing from. The cash was too well secured and everything else was too bulky to easily and difficult to sell. Only the most desperate fashionista would buy her clothes from criminals unless the criminal was Roman Torchwick whose good dress sense was famous even in non-criminal circles.

Once inside the store, Neo took the initiative and led Weiss towards the underwear section. Weiss could not think it was anything but a well-calculated insult. Neo had seen her without any underclothes on the very night before and this had to be a way of reminding her. There was no way she would let Neo know that she was affected. Instead she directly approached the most fashionable and expensive, meaning skimpy, pieces from the selection and started examining them. Some of those looked like pure lace and very little of it. Weiss could only think of how impractical they'd be for fighting the Grimm. Her Scroll buzzed. _I bet your dad makes all the maids wear these._

Weiss was insulted. Not only because of the obvious implication, but also because of the less obvious implication that Jacques Schnee would waste money on part of a maid's uniform that wasn't usually visible instead of making the maids buy their own underwear. He fully well knew that in spite of what most of Remnant believed, the Schnees were not literally made out of money. No, they were mostly made out of resentment, spite, anger, and other emotions that make us human. Weiss did not deign to answer Neo's taunts.

Seeing that she had failed to make Weiss respond, but knowing that she had somehow hit a nerve, Neo picked up one of the pieces that caught her fancy. It was a tiny scrap of cloth whose white color would make a wonderful contrast with her dress. She winked at Weiss and went into the changing booth. Moments later, Weiss' Scroll buzzed again. _Aren't you going to check out how they look?_

If that was the game Neo wanted to play, then Weiss was going to take her on. She entered the booth fully prepared to see Neo without any clothes at all, but there seemed to be no change in her appearance. "I'm not going to ask you to lift up your skirt," Weiss informed Neo.

Neo's smile was either devious or deviant. Neither Weiss nor Neo was exactly sure which at the moment. She took hold of Weiss' hand and guided it under the hem of her skirt. (Was it really this short?) Not all the way, just far enough for Weiss to get the idea and show just how far she was willing to go. Weiss half-expected to find a mousetrap waiting for her, but she only discovered that Neo wasn't wearing any underwear at all. Much later, Weiss would feel that keeping her face impassive at that moment was one of her greater achievements in life.

Her self-satisfaction was short-lived, since Neo's smirk reminded that she was still touching her. "So that's the way it is?" said Weiss while trying to keep her voice completely level. She was now keeping her hand between Neo's thighs on purpose. Weiss didn't really expect Neo to respond. It would be difficult to write anything on a Scroll in the position they were in, but Neo's face told Weiss everything she needed to know. The same smug expression that showed Neo was absolutely sure that she was in control here.

Weiss hated that and she hated having no idea of what Neo expected her to do. She had to turn the tables on her. The air in the changing booth was starting to feel hot. Did Neo want her to get out or continue? Whatever it was, Weiss had to do the opposite, or even better, something completely unexpected.

But Neo was pressed close to her and her skin felt wonderfully soft to touch. She could blame it on the alcohol even though she knew perfectly well that she was sober. Weiss moved her fingers to the spot that would be usually covered even by the skimpiest regular underwear. At that moment, Neo leaned in to kiss her, but it lasted barely a split second before Weiss pulled back. "Oh no, you don't," she said even though she desperately wanted the momentary sensation to last longer.

This wasn't for fun. This wasn't because the daring criminal was starting to look beautiful to Weiss. No, this was for revenge and to see if she could force Neo into making a sound. She pushed first one finger then two inside Neo.

She vaguely regretted that the ring Neo stole for her was on her right hand because Neo only pressed herself against Weiss to give her better access. This wasn't exactly a matter where Weiss had experience. Her knowledge was limited to her own body, but she supposed that there had to be some similarities. She tried doing what she knew to see if it'd have the same effect on Neo.

Neo's enthusiastic response was both frustrating and satisfying. It was good to know that her inexperience wasn't showing much, but did Neo have to enjoy herself that much? Neo tried kissing her again and Weiss rebuffed her once more. She felt herself aching for some sort of reciprocation, but there was the danger of the store staff finding out.

In the end, Neo didn't make a sound even when her whole body was shuddering in pleasure. Her breath got a little rougher, but that was all. She smiled triumphantly at Weiss when all was done and Weiss felt ashamed to feel a tingle of happiness at seeing it.


	3. III - Epistolary Escapades

_Letter in a plain white envelope addressed to Miss Weiss Schnee. Written on a light violet paper in dark purple ink and scented with lilacs. Found in the Schnee Manor's letterbox with no postmark and delivered to Weiss by Klein._

Most Esteemed Miss Schnee,

I hope this missive finds you in good health and high spirits. Our previous encounter weighs most heavily on my mind. I did not think you capable of such conduct, although I must admit it was most pleasurable. Yet even as my body yields, my spirit is outraged at being used to slake your lusts. I bear an affection for you, but I don't know if it's mutual. Am I a mere plaything to you, to be used, disgraced and thrown away? I pray it is not so. One line from you would be enough to make me certain. I beg of you, reassure me of your emotions. Tell that I did not fall prey to unnatural lust of a Schnee.

In agony of uncertainty, Neo.

_A sheet of lined paper torn from a notebook and written on with an ordinary pen. Left on the windowsill of Weiss' room and disappeared while Weiss was called to her father's study._

I am willing to play a lot of your games, but not this one. Don't talk about being used after you took my hand and stuck it between your thighs. W.

_The signature trails off as if the writer was about to continue with the next letter, but thought better of it._

_A sheet of fine hand-made paper written on with ordinary blue ink. Some of the letters are smudged as if from tears. Tiny salt crystals are sprinkled near the smudged letters. Found on Weiss' pillow after she returned from the shower._

Unfeeling Yet Beloved Miss Schnee,

Your coldness is harsher than Atlesian winter, but I have to keep thinking about your sapphire eyes and ruby (the word is crossed out so many times and with such vehemence it's almost impossible to make out) lips. To feel their gaze and touch once more would be the greatest pleasure possible in this world. My longing for your presence increases each day. If it were possible I would storm your prison and carry you out to freedom, but I know your pride is such that you wouldn't consent to being saved by someone as lowly as myself. I shall be content to lie dreaming of your sublime touch and passionate whispers until your bottomless mercy calls me to you.

Your Devoted and Suffering Servant

_Message left on Neo's Scroll moments after Weiss found the previous letter._

I know that it's easy for you, but don't you dare to do anything like this ever again. It changes your whole vibe from lovestruck admirer to creepy stalker.

_Official SDC letterhead with several lines in man's handwriting crossed out. As before, left on the windowsill of Weiss' room and removed overnight._

Neo. You know you can get to my room at any time. In fact, you had to go there to get this letter. Pretending that I'm some distant figure might be fun for you, but it's not very amusing. If you actually need reassurance then yes, I did enjoy the time we spent together and wouldn't mind seeing you again. Just remember that I'm not trusting you for as long as you're after revenge on Ruby. I won't bother telling you to reform. It would make everything much easier, but I think I already know you well enough to know it'll never happen.

Waiting for you next letter, W.

_Plain printer paper written on with an ordinary pen. Arrived at the Schnee Manor in an envelope addressed to Weiss Schnee and claiming to have come from Atlas Fashions, a rather unassuming business name for a shop Weiss had visited recently._

Beloved Miss Schnee,

Your kind words brought hope to me. Hope that I didn't think could exist again. Circumstances beyond my control prevent me from rushing to your side and covering your beautiful hand with ardent kisses. Alas! Your smallest word would be enough to fasten me to your side no matter what else might come, but you refuse to give it. I long to see you again. At nights, I remember how you looked the first night we met. No, not that time in Vale. The first time we really met and saw each other as people. I am waiting for another chance to see you as I saw you that night. Please, do not see me as wanton for harboring that wish. I swear that my attachment to you is as true as it can be.

Suffering the pain of love, Neo

_A sheet of notebook paper written on with ordinary pen. Inside an envelope addressed to just "Neo P." and posted by Klein._

Let's see if you manage to get this one. Yes, you can have hope. I do want to see you, but it's you who is preventing that with this ridiculous game of yours. I think our 'date' made it clear that I'm willing to go along with a lot of things and that I'm willing to go far. You know that I have to stay where I am. I don't doubt for a second that you did your inquiries before you came to see me. Since I don't know where to find you, it depends on you whether something happens. Don't wait for my permission. You have it for as long as you stay in Atlas. I'm leaving this unsigned because you know who wrote it.

_A long message sent to Weiss' Scroll late at night._

My beloved, I do not wish to provoke your displeasure by sending yet another missive instead of presenting myself in person, but events have occurred that demand my personal attention and I cannot hasten to proclaim my eternal devotion. Oh, how I long for your presence, but alas, I am not able to rush to your side. I wish you pleasant repose and dare to ask you not to forget me until I can once again lay my eyes on you. N.

_Weiss' reply._

I was asleep! You woke me up! I don't know what you did to my scroll to make it so that your messages override silent mode, but stop it!

_A scrap of paper found in the Schnee Manor's daily baked goods delivery two weeks later._

Weiss, I need your help. Please go to the restaurant we went to next Friday, after closing hours. You should know by my handwriting that it is really me writing this.


End file.
